Green Light on Green Cup

COLUMBUS, Miss (WCBI) – The Green Cup Ordinance will take effect on September 15.

The new policy will allow restaurants and bars to allow a patron to leave their establishment with an alcoholic beverage.

The alcohol must be in a green cup, specially marked.

Barbara Bigelow is the executive director of Columbus Main Street. She lists key points for patrons to remember if participating in the city’s new policy.

“There are several things: You can’t walk into another restaurant that is participating with a green cup in your hand,” Bigelow said. “That restaurant will ask you to throw that cup away or finish your drink. The ordinance hours are 10 am to 10 pm, 7 days a week. If a downtown retail associate chooses not to allow someone or prefers not to have someone in their business with a drink in their hand, we’ll have signage posted that says please do not enter with an alcoholic beverage.”

The ordinance in full can be found on the Columbus Main Street website.